Rochester Art Collectors is alive and well even if the organization is operating at a very low level of activity due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

   On March 13, 2020 Rochester Art Collectors halted all its programs through the spring and most of the summer due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, we were very disappointed to postpone the launch of our new fantasy art collecting social media game, The Red Dot Challenge. (More on The Red Dot Challenge below.) Since March we have promoted just two programs.

   In August, during a lull in the pandemic, we co-sponsored and helped to promote the very first Pittsford Art Walk event. Five commercial galleries located in the Village of Pittsford organized an indoor/outdoor festival highlighting their galleries and celebrating their artists. Galleries moved some the art work they were promoting onto the the sidewalks and under tents. Hundreds of people swarmed up and down the streets of the Village that week in August. The event was a big success. As a result, we suspect there will be more Pittsford Art Walk events in the future.

   The pandemic numbers remained very low in the early part of the fall. So, in late in October we organized a program with Deborah Ronnen Fine Art and R1 Studios to offer collectors a chance to experience their pop-up exhibit, KOTA EZAWA: Taking a Knee. Unlike the Pittsford Art Walk program we had a very limited number of timed tickets in order to keep our participants safe.

   Luckily, Rochester Art Collectors has a very low operating budget. We are an all-volunteer group. So, as disappointing as our pandemic pause has been, staying viable hasn't been a heavy lift. You might ask, "What's next?"

   Rochester Art Collectors will slowly emerge over time to provide programs as the pandemic wanes. We will do so with careful consideration and with the most appropriate safeguards until society is out of peril.

   A principle element of our fantasy art collecting game, The Red Dot Challenge, involves in-person visits to venues that present art for sale. As a result, The Red Dot Challenge, too will have to wait until the pandemic passes.

   Unfortunately, we do not know exactly when we can begin to schedule programs or when we can launch The Red Dot Challenge. Rest assured, however, we WILL return and our programs WILL reappear. Stay tuned!

Rochester Art Collectors has suspended all in-person programs for the time being due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The following programs that were scheduled have been canceled:

Crafting Democracy | Talk by Eboni Jones | RIT Bevier Gallery | March 14, 2020
Red Dot Challenge:2020 | Info Session #2 | Boulder Cafe & Lounge | March  16, 2020
Buying Art at Auction | The Ronald and Krista Reed Collection | Cottone Auction House | March 28, 2020
Red Dot Challenge:2020 | Game Launch | April 1, 2020
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• The Crafting Democracy program at RIT's Bevier Gallery featuring Eboni Jones will not be rescheduled because the exhibition has closed. 

 

• The Buying Art at Auction program at Cottone Auction House featuring Alice and Nick Zumbulyadis will be rescheduled.

 

• Red Dot Challenge:2020 Game launch will be rescheduled as soon as practical. Red Dot Challenge:2020 information sessions will be rescheduled based on the rescheduled game launch date.

Rochester Art Collectors is rolling out the super-fun FREE fantasy art collecting social media game Red Dot Challenge here in Rochester!

​You’ve heard of fantasy sports games like fantasy football, right? Well there’s also fantasy dating games, fantasy travel games, and fantasy role playing games. Fantasy art collecting is a recent entry into the growing social media fantasy gaming world.

Informational meetings about Red Dot Challenge:

• Wednesday March 4th, 2020 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM @ Boulder Cafe & Lounge - CLICK for more information and to register
• Monday March 16th, 2020 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM @ Boulder Cafe & Lounge - CLICK for more information and to register

   On Wednesday, February 26, 2020 Rochester-based author and former gallerist, Shirley Dawson, gave a talk at Cad Red Gallery in the Village of Pittsford inspired by an entry in her blog, Rochester Art Review.  A nearly complete video of her presentation is embedded below. The text below the video was reprinted from her blog with permission.

   I am surrounded by beautiful objects collected over a lifetime. I combine texture, color and shape in a way that enhances individual pieces and lends an aura of taste and interest to the complete environment.

   When I die, the first stop for these treasures? An estate sale. Nobody in my family wants an entire houseful of “things”— they have houses full already.  Increasingly, museums have no use for even good art unless it comes partnered with a sizable donation to store and care for extraneous objects. 

   So for a few bucks, you can own my “eye.” But out of context, my valued objects will lose their punch. Against your cabbage rose wallpaper, my pottery will look like crap and my paintings are far too specific for somebody else’s traditional living room.

   After the household sale, the dregs and leftovers will be loaded onto a truck and sent off to Goodwill…or Habitat for Humanity… or some church somewhere. All good. I want to help the less privileged even after I’m dead and what better way to cheer up a refugee family than with a 4’ x 6’ painting of smears of gray and black paint! Or a big beautiful ceramic pot tenuously balanced on its 2 inch foot, so fragile that the slightest breath will send it crashing into oblivion?

   After tripping over that donated painting for the millionth time, a Habitat supervisor will say “Enough! Send this to…the dumpster, the trash heap.” Nobody will utter the slightest objection because like all things in this world, orphaned art eventually becomes just more disposable clutter.

   The bitter truth is that only a tiny fraction of artful objects will find long lasting value…just as high school phenom basketball players will mostly fail to reach the NBA…and odds are that the super talented singer in your choir will NOT become the next Aretha Franklin.  

   You doubt me? Then you haven’t gone to estate sales lately. Or visited nursing homes. Or been called to help dispose of abandoned artwork left in a storage facility.

   I was bereft after one such incident. My friend Nancy wrote: “You’ve come face to face with the dark side of collecting. And as with everything else, it’s as if a mirror is being held up asking ‘what about you?’”

   Yikes! Has my life — my entire career — been misspent? Is collecting merely a nicer word for hoarding? Does the old adage “one man’s treasure is another man’s trash” apply to EVERYTHING, even art? 

   Well, yes, but along with all the warts, collecting brings along unexpected positives.

1. Collecting anything automatically opens doors into history.
2. Chasing down and finding that perfect thing gives structure to free time. 
3. Collecting introduces the collector to people with similar interests. 
4. The search leads to unique vacation locals and out-of-the-way shops, galleries, museums and studios. 
5. Collecting nearly always results in wider hands-on experience and in depth information about the physical characteristics of objects — the method and materials used in manufacturing. 
6. Makers imbue their work always with their individual tales; it’s impossible to own such personal information without broadening your own curiosity about and tolerance for fellow humans. 

   And there it is — ultimately, collecting is a case for belonging — community. When we collect objects, we collect the stories too. We weave the thread of our being into the continuing thread of makers and the history of the things they make.  It doesn’t matter what happens to these objects after we’re gone. If they find another home, good! If not, they haven’t been made — nor owned, nor loved — in vain.  They served for awhile. The makers and their objects — the collectors who bought them —continued the evolutionary experience we share. That’s the best any of us can hope for.

A Different Path Gallery closed.  New gallery to open???

   ​   The owner, Katherine Weston, closed A Different Path Gallery, sold the building and relocated to Vermont this past summer. A Different Path Gallery was an art fixture for nearly a decade on the west side of Monroe County within walking distance of the SUNY Brockport campus and shouting distance to Lift Bridge Book Shop, Java Junction Coffee and The Strand movie theater among other business institutions along Main Street in the Village of Brockport.

   The gallery was a hotbed of creative expression for those makers whose base of daily activity tended to hug the western edge of Monroe County. Rooms above the gallery housed one or more artist studios. A charming boutique gift shop with many artisanal and handmade items was located adjacent to the gallery space through an open threshold.
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                                                                       STAY TUNED...
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   Our sources tell us that an artist has purchased the building and may open a new gallery in that space before too long. Our fingers are crossed!

Axom Gallery moved.

   Late in the Fall of 2019 Axom Gallery in conjunction with with the gallery's partner business, Axom Home, moved to a new location at 661 South Avenue. They were previously located for many years on Anderson Avenue near Good Luck restaurant, Anderson Alley and the Village Gate. The move returns them to their home territory in the South Wedge neighborhood where the owners, Robin & Rick Muto, have lived and started their businesses decades ago.

   When you visit the new location you'll immediately see the benefits of their new first floor storefront location and their dramatically larger retail space for walk-in customers. The artwork on exhibition is integrated throughout the retail area of the business. I'm told by Rick Muto, Axom Gallery's co-owner/curator, a more defined exhibition space will be developed over time. Still, very often the art will be shown in the context of their design offerings since most art buyers  install the art they buy inside of their homes and offices.

Cad Red opened.

   Cad Red opened their doors at in the Village of Pittsford at 34 South Main Street in the fall of 2019 with their first exhibition in October. The owner opened the gallery as a compliment to her beautifully curated antique and housewares business immediately next door but due to the quick success of the gallery she has decided to focus her entrepreneurial efforts on art rather than antiques.

   This lovely, intimate new gallery is located in a recently restored historic building nestled between other active businesses and where foot traffic is high. Two large storefront windows draw in light as well as passersby.  Convenient parking is available immediately outside the front entrance to the gallery. 
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   Cad Red will host solo exhibitions as well as small group shows. The work will mostly feature living regional artists in most media including but not limited to photography and works on canvas. The gallery may also include artists working outside of the Rochester/Finger Lakes area on occasion. 

Fleuron Gallery closed.

   Fleuron opened their doors at in the center of the Village of Honeoye Falls at 10 North Main Street in June, 2018. That new retail venture was set in a charming early twentieth century storefront with big windows. Fleuron was what we call a "hybrid" commercial art gallery. In this instance the fine art gallery was nestled between a botanical boutique at the front of the shop and a small graphic design work space tucked away behind the gallery, up a small flight of stairs. Sadly, this sweet little village gallery closed in sometime during the winter of 2019.

Gallery 74 has transformed into WOC ART Collaborative

   Over the years Ralph Thompson developed and nurtured a powerful artistic studio space called Gallery 74 that became a magnet attracting creativity in all forms. Although the gallery was used as a studio and exhibition space for his own creative purposes he welcomed other artists in all media as well as dancers, actors, musicians, community groups and more. Exhibitions and performances were regular elements of the gallery's operation. Thompson didn't apply for grants or solicit outside donations. He just opened the doors and the community he cherished found a home. In 2019 he decided to retire but that's not the end of his or this story!

   One very important measure of a successful life is the new growth that springs from the legacy of that life. In 2017-2018 Ralph Thompson welcomed Rachel Y. DeGuzman when she was looking for a place to host a series of "Long Table Discussions" around race, intersectionality and community in Rochester. Coming out of those discussions and others in January, 2019 WOC ART Collaborative began planning their future in a generous space adjacent to and carved out of Galley 74.

   Since that time DeGuzman has built a multi-generational collective of Black women & women of color creators in Rochester committed to bringing the power of their individual accomplishments, visions, and social justice practices to create an institution rooted in intersectional equity for women, femme, gender-variant and non-binary artists of color. WOC ART Collaborative was born in cradle of Ralph Thompson’s Gallery 74.

  Founding WOC ART Collaborative members include Rachel Y. DeGuzman, N’Jelle Gage-Thorne, Reenah Golden, W. Michelle Harris, Delores Jackson-Radney, Tianna Mañón, Rachel McKibbens, Nydia Padilla-Rodriguez, Danielle Ponder, and KaeLyn Rich. Many more creatives have been drawn to the cause and joined the organization as affiliate members. Expect to see some significant activity from WOC ART Collaborative in 2020.

   After a year of careful plannning WOC ART Collaborative now fully occupies the same space as the former Gallery 74 including the entire the third floor of the the Kee Lox building at 215 Tremont Street in Cornhill. There are two very large rooms and two smaller rooms which will eventually be reorganized as five rooms with three smaller rooms for storage, studio arts and podcasting and the remaining two larger rooms for administration, exhibition, meeting, social gathering and performances.

Gallery 384 closed.

   This past spring Gallery 384 closed but not because the it wasn't succeeding. It was! Gallery 384 was what we call a "hybrid" venue. In this case the gallery was a mutually beneficial collaboration between gallery operator,Howard Koft, and the owners of the East Avenue Inn; located on the corner of East Avenue and Alexander Street. Artworks by local artists were allowed to exhibit in the motel lobby area, restaurant and hallways on the first floor. While the gallery organizer did not take a share of the sale proceeds a small portion of each sale contributed to a local charity. Gallery 384 had been in active operation exhibiting and selling artwork for about four years before it closed due to the sale of the motel which was demolished soon after the deal closed in the summer of 2019.

Kristen Campo Fine Art & Design opened a retail location.

   Kristen Campo, owner of Kristen Campo Fine Art & Design took an important step in the Fall of 2019 when she opened a bricks-and-mortar location for her gallery at 3025 Monroe Avenue in Pittsford. Her brand new retail gallery is strategically placed on a high traffic stretch of Monroe Avenue across from Jewelers between Pittsford Wegmans and what may someday be the new Whole Foods. This stretch of Monroe Avenue has to be the hottest, most successful, high end retail stretch in all of Monroe County.
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    Campo has combined over 20 years of creative expertise as an art dealer and interior designer in the greater Rochester area. She grew up in a family of artists and worked towards a BFA at Nazareth College. She gained her knowledge working in local art galleries for 17 years before obtaining her LLC in 2017 and branching out as Kristen Campo Fine Art & Design. In less than two months, her fledgling gallery headed to Miami to exhibit for its first time in Pinta Miami 2017, during Art Basel week. In 2019 she organized and promoted a large scale "artfare" in Rochester's  Strathallan Hotel.

Norchar's gallery space is on hiatus.

   Norchar has hosted bimonthly art exhibitions on the first floor of their office on Park Avenue for the past few years. The exhibitions were distinctive in that they were beautifully curated and expertly installed; not usually the case when artists exhbit in spaces where the artwork is not the focus of the environment. In addition, Norchar hosted well attended opening parties to celebrate the exhibitions and invite the public in for a look. Norchar is poised to expand in 2020. As a result, the owners did not feel like they had the capacity to continue on with the exhibitions for the time being.

   The owners have indicated they will take another look at exhibitions in their Park Avenue location at some point in the future. We hope they decide to take up the project again. In the meantime they will be missed.

Pittsford Fine Art opened.

   ​Pittsford Fine Art opened their doors informally at the four corners in the Village of PIttsford as the curtain was falling on 2019, Their grand opening will be in early January, 2020 but they were already exhibiting and selling art from the get-go in December.

   Pittsford Fine Art is co-owned and operated by ten artist-partners: Kathy Armstrong, Steve BonDurant, Gilbert Jordan, Laurence E. Keefe, Chris Kolupski, Nancy Lane, Chris Manaseri, Rebecca Maynard, Robin McCondichie, Bill Mowson, and Roland (Chip) Stevens III. The gallery will show representative samples from each of the partners in the front of the space plus one artist featured on a more-or-less monthly basis. Visitors will be able to see more works by the partners as they move through the gallery.
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   After January 7, 2020 the gallery will be open Tuesday through Sunday at noon and will remain open on those days until 6:00 pm except on Fridays when they will be open until 8:00 pm. 

Rochester Community Collage emerged.

   In case you haven't noticed collage art is SUPER hot in Rochester at the moment. in 2019 a new group of artists founded Rochester Community Collage. This new group offers studio arts programming as well as exhibition offerings. Rochester Art Collectors has listed this group under "ARTIST STUDIO/GALLERIES, ARTISTS' SPACES & CO-OPS" on our SOURCES page. You won't necessarily find this group in a dedicated gallery space. Instead they host pop-up exhibitions around town. Artist groups and coops help make the Rochester arts scene vibrant and interesting. One thing we can tell you for certain is there's never a dull moment around the Rochester Community Collage group!

   Rochester Art Collectors agrees. We think Western New York needs deeper and more frequent public conversations about the art that is exhibited in our midst.

   Last fall in conjunction with Current Scene, the Small Venue Biennial developed by Rochester Contemporary Art Center (RoCo), Rochester Art Collectors co-sponsored a panel discussion titled "The State of Art Writing In Rochester" with panelists Rebecca Rafferty of City Newspaper; Colin Dabkowski, former arts critic for The Buffalo News; noted author, Robin L. Flanigan; Karen vanMeenen, former editor of the media arts journal Afterimage (currently at Writers & Books); and panel moderator, Sarah Webb, active in the Rochester art community over twenty-five years as an independent curator, educator, writer and artist. The panel discussed the need for more coverage of the arts as well as more critical conversations about art itself. Audience participation at the end of the presentation clearly indicated strong support for both.

   It so happened that just a few weeks before Current Scene opened Cornelia Magazine, produced by The Buffalo Institute for Contemporary Art, published it's inaugural issue and launched it's website in August. The timing of Cornelia’s first issue was an ideal backdrop for the panel discussion. The founders and editors, Emily Ebba Reynolds and Nando Alvarez-Perez (who also happen to be married), came to the discussion at RoCo and offered their views on the topic at hand.

   We read the first issue of Cornelia cover-to-cover as soon as we got our hands on a hard copy the night of the panel at RoCo and loved it! The second issue was published in December. We read all of Issue #2 online and it didn’t disappoint. We picked up a hard copy just recently at RoCo. Why bother with the hard copy? Because we’re collectors, dammit!
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   As you might expect, Cornelia focuses mostly on art exhibitions in the Greater Buffalo area and looks longingly northward towards the metropolis of Toronto. Why not? Buffalo and Toronto are the dominant artistic powerhouses in our region. And it must be said we love Buffalo's and Toronto's art scenes. Bringing solid information about those scenes to a Rochester audience is a huge benefit.
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   While Rochester isn't a focus Reynolds and Alvarez-Perez have gone out of their way to include writers and exhibitions from our area. In their second issue they devote quite a lot of ink to Current Scene, for example. They’re writer, Dana Tyrrel, not only offered a summary and description of that ambitious program he also offered observations on how to improve next time around. I'm not sure we agree with his assessment but we sure appreciated his point of view and the fact he had a forum to offer his point of view. That's what this is all about: a healthy, respectful conversation. We look forward to reading issue #3!

   Most people know the Art Museum of Rochester either by its acronym, AMoR, or its distinctive logo rather than the business name itself. The logo sports a cherry red heart nestled atop the M. The logo says a lot about the place: friendly, informal, chiiillll.  Just take on look at the owner's picture next to this post. He's a super-nice guy and it shows whenever you're around him.
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   AMoR is definitely NOT your run-of-the-mill art gallery. It's a hybrid space that offers billiards and booze alongside the art.

   Just in case you're not convinced about how hip this place is you can walk from the art gallery area directly into a tattoo parlor.  As if that's not enough proof, we've been there on at least one occasion when a group 8-10 gamers were playing Super Smash Bros. in the front room more or less in the middle of an art exhibition. True story.

   Let's face it, running a business on art sales alone is tough. Hybrids are one way to make the numbers work. AMoR has found a way do more than just pay bills and to do so for many years running. To be perfectly honest, we seriously doubt Scott Napier run his gallery any other way.

 How is this venue listed on the Rochester Art Collector's SOURCES ​page?
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"Commercial Art Galleries & Venues That Function Like Commercial Art Galleries"

General Description/Business Model:
AMoR is a "bricks-and-mortar" business. We consider AMoR a "hybrid commercial gallery" because when you consider the art components on their own AMoR meets many of the criteria of a traditional gallery. The art is not an afterthought. The owner has a strong personal interest in the work and thinks of himself as a gallerist. 

​AMoR operates on the consignment model with proceeds of all sales shared by the gallery and the selling artist. AMoR does not represent artists outside of their exhibitions except as described below or on an ad-hoc basis.

​Description of the Exhibition Schedule:

   AMoR rotates its exhibitions regularly. While they may not hit the once per month exhibition pace found at commercial galleries they usually have around eight exhibitions in a calendar year. Exhibitions run three to six weeks long.

   Exhibitions usually kick off with an opening party. Some exhibitions include a closing party as well. 

Hours of operation:
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   AMoR is open to the public during regular business hours but their business hours aren't what you might expect of an art gallery. They're open from 5:00 pm to midnight Monday through Saturday and Sundays from noon to 6:00 pm.  Visits to the gallery may also be made by appointment.

Description of the Exhibition Environment:

   AMoR is located in a building what was built as a home and later converted & adapted to a retail “boutique” application. As a result the layout feels a lot like a large home when you walk through.

   There's a vestibule entry that leads into a large front room that may have been an enclosed porch. Step up from the front room into what was probably the living room when this home was first built. A brick fireplace is on the far wall. Walk through a central hallway past stairs towards the back of the building into a large open space that may have been the original dining room and kitchen. A well used pool table breaks up the space takes up about 1/3 of this area. You may find yourself navigating around players in order to see works installed in proximity to the pool table. There's a small public powder room off to one side. The tattoo parlor is in a large addition near the powder room.

   Art is exhibited for sale in all these areas of the first floor with the exception of the tattoo parlor where you'll see lots of art owned by the folks that want to decorate your skin. In addition, there are display cases for small artworks/collectables and racks for t-shirts as well as other AMoR related merch & ephemera.

    AMoR is not a white cube. Art work hangs on every vertical space including a couple of niche areas on the first floor and all the way up the open stairwell to the second floor. Most of the walls are plaster or drywall. One large wall is finished with corrugated aluminum giving the space a distinctive aesthetic.

   Although in some areas the ambient lighting is dim the artwork is hung and displayed respectfully and with appropriate lighting. Mostly the work is hung gallery style; each piece set on it's own with room for the work to “breathe”.  However, we've seen work hung salon style, floort-to-ceiling, more than once at AMoR. Most of the work that is exhibited for sale is installed on the first floor.

   As a side note, due to the nature of some of the art on exhibit, there are times when the work is not presented framed. In those cases the artwork is literally tacked or otherwise affixed to the wall. Much of that sort of work is made from cardboard, paper, mixed media, or odd materials including everything from appropriated traffic signs to miniature railroad cars. If you want "precious," there are some shows that probably aren't for you.

​   Once you reach the top the stairs you won't see much artwork from the regular exhibitions. Oh, there's art upstairs but as far as we can tell it's mostly permanently installed. The second floor is about pool, drinks and, if you insist, coffee or tea.

How is the venue staffed?

   The owner or a paid staff member is always present when the venue is open to the public.  Just like the owner, the paid staff is very friendly and more than willing to chat but, with respect to the art, they are only helpful to a point. Unless you talk to the owner you won't learn much about the artists or the artwork. on the other hand, we’ve had more than one interaction with patrons who were fairly knowledgeable about the work displayed as well as the artists who made it. 

​Information About The Type of Work Exhibited:

   AMoR shows current or recent work made by living artists and created in nearly all media and in a variety of styles with an emphasis on two dimensional work. The gallery seems to prefer group exhibitions over exhibitions that feature only one artist. Nearly all the artists who show at AMoR are either resident in Rochester or connected to Rochester.

   There is a special emphasis on emerging artists and artists who depict urban settings or are influenced by an urban vibe. Works by "street" artists - muralists and those that come from a graffiti and public art background - are common. Still, we've also seen artists there who don't fall into that category at all including some of the most moving abstract works we've seen exhibited anywhere in Rochester.

What information is available about the artists and artwork during an exhibition?

   Typically each artwork has a wall label with the artist's name, title and price. Occasionally, the work is labeled with number and the numbers correspond to the exhibition/price list.

   Unfortunately, AMoR does not usually offer written artist backgrounds, bios, statements or curriculum vitae. However, the owner - who usually acts as curator or co-curator - will be able to talk with collectors about the artists. Staff are usually not be as knowledgeable as the owner. Unless you go to the opening or  you're lucky, you probably won't run into any of the exhibiting artists while you’re in the building. In terms of background info, you're pretty much on your own.

   We have never seen AMoR  host an artist talks/panel during an exhibition.

What is the typical price range for works presented by this venue?

   It's not unusual to find works of art in each exhibition available  for around $100 or less. The average price is typically in the $300-$500 range. On occasion - depdending on the aritst - you may see work at AMoR  priced above $1,000. We've seen at least one show with work priced as high as several thousand dollars.

How does this venue handle sales of art work?

​   AMoR will take payment on site as soon as you are ready. Works are sold on a first-come, first-served basis however the gallery may hold a work of art for a prospective buyer under certain limited circumstances. The gallery will accept cash, credit, debit and personal check. Note: AMoR will also allow installment purchases in many cases. Work that has been purchased in full may be taken by the new owner once the exhibition closes or if the final payment is received after the exhibition closes, then the new owner may pick the work up after the last payment has been received by the gallery.

   AMoR does not maintain a backroom inventory of unsold artwork although you might see work from the last show still on the stairway walls heading to the second floor. The gallery owner may occasionally act as matchmaker with an artist in cases where a collector wants to consider works not included in an current exhibition or works that may still be available from a past exhibition.​
As far as we know, AMoR does not offer delivery. Everything is local pickup.

How does this venue market and promote their exhibitions?

​​​   Mostly word-of-mouth with a touch of social media as well as a website. Facebook is probably your best bet. Please follow AMoR on Instagram and Facebook.

​Does this venue offer any art related services or products besides the artwork itself?
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   No.

   1975 Gallery was founded by Erich Lehman in 2008 to expose talented artists from Rochester and around the world to a local community that might otherwise overlook those artists. In addition, 1975 Gallery has sought to foster art collecting in general.

   In the early days the gallery incubated inside Surface Salon where Erich produced many popular and successful exhibitions that were somewhat limited by the awkwardness of shared space.

   Eventually Erich moved 1975 Gallery into a dedicated exhibition and sales space at 89 Charlotte Street behind the Little Theatre where Ugly Duck Coffee is today.   As the gallery's reputation grew so did the crowds.

   In October, 2015 Erich produced  1975 Gallery's final exhibition at Charlotte Street. Since then Erich has been organizing and promoting exciting pop-up exhibitions around Rochester; most recently in November, 2019 as a part of Rochester Contemporary's Current Seen biennial and in collaboration with the Joy Gallery & Shepard Studio at 498 West Main Street.

 How is this venue listed on the Rochester Art Collector's SOURCES ​page?

   “Commercial Art Galleries & Venues That Function Like Commercial Art Galleries"

General Description/Business Model:
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   1975 Gallery is a "pop-up" gallery. Although 1975 Gallery does not have a permanent "bricks-and-mortar" location it meets many of our criteria for inclusion as a “commercial gallery.”

​   1975 Gallery operates on the consignment model with proceeds of all sales shared by the gallery and the selling artist. 1975 Gallery is not the exclusive represent for artists outside of their exhibitions except as described below or on an ad-hoc basis. However, Erich has expanded into the realm of art consultancy as a way of supporting artists and collectors.

​Description of the Exhibition Schedule:

   Over the past couple of years 1975 Gallery has produced one or two exhibitions each year. Exhibitions are usually active over a three to six week period.

   Every exhibition kicks off with an opening party. Many exhibitions also feature a closing party as well. 

Hours of operation:
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   1975 Gallery is open to the public but only when an exhibition is active. The exhibition hours vary based on the particular circumstance associated with the current exhibition. Generally speaking, however, you can expect 1975 Gallery exhibitions to be open on one or more evenings during the week and on the weekends during the day. Gallery hours during weekdays are unusual but not out of the question. Visits by appointment are usually available.

Description of the Exhibition Environment:

    Typically exhibitions are held in a dedicated, single-purpose space created from a vacant storefront or in collaboration with a non-profit, university gallery or business partner. In any case, you can count on the work being well lit, beautifully installed and exhibited with care.

How is the venue staffed?

   The owner or a staff member is always present when the venue is open to the public. Supplemental staff members are often either volunteers or artists featured in the exhibition rather than employees.

​Information About The Type of Work Exhibited:
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​   1975 Gallery tends to focus on current or recent work made by living artists and created in nearly all media and in a variety of styles with an emphasis on two dimensional work. The gallery prefers group exhibitions over exhibitions that feature only one artist.

What information is available about the artists and artwork during an exhibition?

   Each artwork has a wall label with a number that corresponds to the exhibition/price list. Ample copies of the list are usually available and may be taken by any visitor. Aside from pricing the exhibition list includes the artists' names as well as the title of each work.  The exhibition list may or may not contain information about the media used to create the works.

   Unfortunately, 1975 Gallery does not usually offer hard copies of artist backgrounds, bios, statements or curricula vitae. However, the owner - who usually acts as curator or co-curator - is deeply knowledgeable. He will enthusiastically discuss any of the artists and explain their work at length. Staff are usually not be as knowledgeable as the owner. But then again who is? Local artists featured in an exhibit may be available to talk about their work as well.

   1975 Gallery typically hosts one or more artist talks/panels during an exhibition.

What is the typical price range for works presented by this venue?
​
   It's not unusual to find works of art in each exhibition available  for around $100. The average price is typically in the $400-$500 range. Each exhibition usually has a handful of pieces priced above $1,000.

How does this venue handle sales of art work?

​   1975 Gallery will take payment on site as soon as you are ready. Works are sold on a first-come, first-served basis however the gallery may hold a work of art for a prospective buyer under certain limited circumstances. The gallery will accept cash, credit, debit, personal check, and e-payment.

​   Note: 1975 Gallery will also allow installment purchases in many cases. Work that has been purchased in full may be taken by the new owner once the exhibition closes or if the final payment is received after the exhibition closes, then the new owner may pick the work up after the last payment has been received by the gallery.

   1975 Gallery does not maintain a backroom inventory of unsold artwork however the gallery owner may occasionally act as matchmaker with an artist in cases where a collector wants to consider works not included in an current exhibition or works that may still be available from a past exhibition. A small number of unsold works from a recent exhibition may be offered for sale for a limited time after the exhibition closes through an online gallery. ​You can find the 1975 Gallery online shop HERE.​

   Local delivery and delivery outside of the Rochester area are both possible (at the buyer's expense, of course) but delivery of artworks is not encouraged by the gallery due to the complexity of shipping art. A handling charge will almost certainly apply.

How does this venue market and promote their exhibitions?

​​​   Social media, website, email & word of mouth​. Please follow 1975 Gallery on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

​Does this venue offer any art related services or products besides the artwork itself?

Yes. The owner, Erich Lehman, is available by appointment as an art consultant. 

by Rome Celli

Reprinted with permission from Art House Press | Copyright 2018

   ​There are probably as many ways to collect art as there are collectors. Collectors bring unique goals, methodologies, biases, predilections, responses, backgrounds and budgets to their endeavor. Some art collectors are mindful while others end up with a collection more‐or‐less by accident. Many collectors discover the theme(s) in their collection long after they’ve begun buying art. Most collectors – including me – buy the work so they can enjoy it in their most intimate space: home. Only one of the people I interviewed for this article told me they think of themselves as art collectors even though all have purchased countless works of art over time. I wasn’t surprised. Most people who own art don’t self‐identify as collectors. They told me they buy art for personal reasons as though actual collectors are motivated strictly by calculated financial, intellectual, professional or academic interests. This isn’t surprising either. Not many mere mortals can live up to the stereotypical image of Art Collector.
 
   When the average person thinks of collector‐types they conjure one or more of the classic caricatures: Those select few with money‐to‐burn piling up expensive art objects alongside other extravagant hobbies;  investors with hermitically sealed storehouses of art treasures ready to cash in or pay out when the auction gavel falls; obsessive art hunters armed with tightly clenched lists of works prized for their incremental contribution to a body of related collected works; social climbers who slather their lives with high profile artworks to impress. Put another way - most people don’t think they own enough art, spend enough on art or purchase art for the right reasons to be considered a REAL collector. However, if you ask me, whether or not you are willing to admit it, if you own original artwork, you are a collector in some form or fashion.
 
   I have collected for more than thirty years. The objects in my collection were chosen because they stimulate, challenge or provoke me. They engage my aesthetic sensibilities. They evoke meaningful memories and deep emotions. Most also bring to mind my relationship with the artist. I believe the objects I own have something important to say that will be revealed over a lifetime.
 
   Artwork may be found throughout my home and office. Pieces are placed on horizontal and vertical surfaces where I can experience them. Some pieces are set carefully aside nearby so that they may be rotated into view when I’m ready to re‐engage, while others are taken out of rotation when other works call. A work of art rarely remains in one spot for long. When I move a work – even from one area to another in the same room ‐ it comes to life again and the relationship is refreshed. These works are not decorations; they are part of my everyday existence.
 
   I have many rules around collecting, too many to chronicle in detail here.  I’ll share one rule: I never buy a work of art I see for the first time unless I am familiar with the artist and I have seen their work over time. I process slowly. It takes time for me to build a relationship with the work; to find out if it resonates. I usually like to meet the artist in person at their studio or wherever their work is on display so I can get a sense of the artist’s methods and ideas. (Sadly, some artists don’t respond to my inquiry and that makes it hard for me to feel comfortable purchasing a work of art.) In addition, I’ll also do some research. If the work stays with me, I’ll go back to see it at least one more time before I make a final decision. Occasionally, I find myself drawn to the artist’s vision, but I’m not ready to buy – for whatever reason. Then the artist goes on my wish list. The process from first contact to completing a purchase can take anywhere from a few days to a few years. On the other hand, when I know the artist and I am familiar with their work I can move quickly.
 
   If you are an artist reading this article, I encourage you to respond promptly to all inquiries. Don’t be afraid to engage non‐artists. Invite them into your world. Share your ideas and your passion freely. You don’t have to “sell” the work. The more people who know about you and your work, the more they will appreciate it. Appreciation for your work will lead to sales. Don’t be discouraged along the way. Each inquiry, each interaction, is a new opportunity.
 
   For the past several weeks – at the request of this magazine ‐ I’ve talked to other art collectors about their collections, why they collect and how they collect. I also asked them if they had any advice for emerging collectors. The following is what I learned.

 
    Amanda Chestnut is decisive.

   She doesn’t have to linger long in an exhibition before she knows which pieces rise above the others. She has a trained eye resulting from advanced degrees including an MFA from the Visual Studies Workshop. Beyond her formal education, she has on‐the‐ground experience as an arts administrator and years as a practicing artist – added together, you get a well trained eye. Her professional life and her private life are suffused with art. It’s always on her mind. She doesn’t have to work too hard to find opportunities to experience art let alone to be exposed to art buying opportunities. Her art acquisition budget is modest and her wall space is limited, so new pieces have to be pretty strong to make it into her collection.
 
   Amanda grew up in Binghamton, New York ‐ about 60 miles south east of Rochester where she currently lives and works. She’s of African and European descent. Hang around her long enough and you’ll probably hear her refer to herself as a “little Italian grandma.” She has a big welcoming smile and a compelling personality. She speaks with confidence and conviction. It’s easy to be drawn into a deep and often intellectual conversation with her.
 
   It’s rare for Amanda to pro‐actively seek out new work for her collection. She tends to see exhibitions during the normal course of her life. When she sees a particularly strong work by an artist she respects that is priced in her range she’ll take out her wallet. On occasion she’ll trade works with another artist. A personal connection to the artist is nice but it’s not required. The work needs to stand on its own and because space in her home is so limited, it must be “wall worthy”.
 
   Her collection doesn’t have a particular focus in one area or another, one medium or another or one style or another. When a new work comes into her collection it isn’t usually installed right away. Once a work is hung it tends to stay where she puts it. So, she’s careful before she starts measuring and hammering. Amanda’s advice to emerging collectors: Trust your judgement. Don’t buy a piece of art because you expect it to go up in value. Buy art because you are engaged by the work,  because you are provoked by the work and because you are inspired by the work. If you do this, you will never regret your decision.
 

   Jennifer Miglioratti is impulsive.

​   Jen’s been plugged into the Rochester music and art scene for decades buying work off the walls of clubs, galleries and arts organizations. Certain works will grab her attention and she buys based on impact and instinct. She doesn’t so much acquire a work of art as pounce on it. Jen is a native Rochesterian and grew up in the southeast area of the city near University Avenue. Educated under the watchful eyes of nuns through high school, she studied graphic arts and communications in college. She currently leads the communications department of a prominent real estate development company, LeChase Construction, Inc. Jen is a single mom working in a male dominated environment. She thrives because she has a take charge personality. She works with photographers, writers, graphic artists, and performers. In addition, Jen is responsible for choosing the artwork displayed at the LeChase Construction offices. Making sound, effective and creative decisions is an everyday occurrence for her.
 
   We met recently at Fifth Frame Brewing Company in downtown Rochester on St. Paul Street at just about the same coordinates as a former bar called Club Zero where we crossed paths thirty years earlier. Jen is an animated conversationalist and she engages with a forward momentum that melts time. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her as she bobbed and weaved her way through the answers to my questions. While her art acquisition budget isn’t as restrictive as some, like most people the size and configuration of her living space imposes a harsh discipline on her collecting inclinations. Normally once a work is installed in her house it stays put. However, she recently moved into a new home and that has given her the opportunity to rethink and then rehang her collection. In the process, she identified some prime display space for new acquisitions. She’s in the hunt!
 
   Jen’s collection includes paintings, weavings, drawings, photography, prints, as well as functional and fine art sculpture. Her aesthetic impulses lead the way. Jen has at least one hard and fast rule about buying art that she was willing to share, “I don’t negotiate the price of artwork with artists. I can either afford the work or I can’t.”
 
   Jennifer’s advice to emerging collectors: Instead of buying impulsively (like me) take your time. Think deeply and look at a lot of art before you buy. Enjoy the process of finding the right artwork for your wall, your collection and your life.
 

   Jeana Bonacci‐Roth Is emotional.

   For Jeana collecting is all about the emotional connection she feels to the work and to the maker. It can take her awhile before she purchases a new work of art. She needs some time to allow the work to seep into her – to get into her heart and under her skin. If she doesn’t know the artist, she’ll reach out to the artist, whether the artist is local or not. However, if the work or the artist is local, she does give it special attention. When she buys a piece of art it’s a lifetime commitment.
 
   Jeana is a graduate of SUNY Purchase with a master’s degree in literature. She’s married to a restaurateur, an artist and a collector in his own right, John Roth. In recent years she has been exploring her interests and skills in the visual arts realm by making and collecting art. The very first public exhibition of her own artwork was this past fall at Lovin’ Cup in Henrietta near the Rochester Institute of Technology.
 
   Jeana has collected aggressively for the past three years or so. During that time she has accumulated quite a bit of art, buying mostly from artists directly. She does not feel at all constrained by the available wall and floor space in her home. If she feels the emotional connection, she buys. It is not her goal to accumulate some particular number or type of artworks. Her collection is growing and happening organically; she loves that fact.
 
   The work in her collection is hung salon style: floor‐to‐ceiling. She has a fair amount of work stored around the house as well, waiting for her to choose the best spot for its display. It can take her a fair amount of time to choose the right place to hang work. How does she decide? She considers the relationship between the individual piece and the available spaces, the surrounding works, the purpose of the space, the light in the space and so on. Once the work is hung it’s there for good unless, heaven forbid, she moves.
 
   Jeana’s advice to emerging collectors: Allow yourself the space and time to get to know a work of art before you buy it. Don’t be afraid to talk to the artist or visit the artist’s studio. If you’re in a gallery and the artist isn’t available, talk to the gallerist. Give yourself permission to buy art. You’ll love it!
 

   Rebecca Rafferty is sentient.

​   To be more accurate Rebecca is acutely sentient and profoundly verbal. She is an art critic as well as the Arts & Entertainment editor at City Newspaper in Rochester, New York. One would expect these traits from a professional art critic and editor. Still, when in the presence of Rebecca discussing art and Collecting, it was easy (for me) to become a bit light‐headed. I was out of my depth and I admit I’m a fan ‐ a huge fan ‐ of her writing. I nearly swooned.
 
   Rebecca was raised in Rochester. Her mom, Bev Rafferty, is a well‐known painter who has exhibited extensively in the region. Rebecca graduated from Nazareth College. She was taught by the likes of Ron Netsky, Kathy Calderwood and Maureen Brilla among other notable and accomplished artist‐educators. She reached an academic crossroads at one point and chose a path focused more on writing about art than making art. Yet,  she is an avid maker as well as a gifted writer. Some of the work in her collection comes from trades and co‐commissions with other artists.
 
   Although by her own admission Rebecca experiences darkness on occasion, there was a playful sparkle in her eyes when we sat across each other in front of Cure restaurant at the Rochester Public Market. She thinks of herself as a “punk‐rock‐beer‐and‐whiskey” sort of person. This is apparent in her general affect which I see as an updated mid‐1960s SDS/Velvet Underground vibe. The pall itself is only vaguely present in the way her cigarette hangs from her mouth and it dissipates quickly whenever her trademark impish smile emerges.
 
   Rebecca has what she describes as a fairly large collection of art. Multiple interests drive her collection. She is drawn to work that depicts wolves or other wild animals – particularly when the animals engage or are otherwise in conflict with humans. She is also drawn to mysteries of the moon and dark fantasies akin to Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series. Her political interests are never far removed from her mind or her collection. So, it’s not surprising to find out that a good bit of the work she collects is either explicitly or implicitly political. The spirit of David Bowie is also a presence in her collection. Like Jeana, she hangs the work salon style in her home. Lately, she’s looking forward to an upcoming move that will give her the chance to reassess and then reinstall her collection.
 
   Rebecca’s advice to emerging collectors: Art is not a frill. It’s an essential element of the human experience. Owning art – living with art – will enrich your life.


   Rome Celli is a co‐organizer of RochesterArtCollectors.org along with Sarah Webb.

All images copyright Michele Kisly 2019

   For the first time in memory a large group of commercial gallery owners and non-profit arts organization directors/curators met in one place to discuss the Rochester regional art market. The meeting was convened by Rochester Art Collectors and took place on Thursday, February 7th at RIT's newly opened  City Art Space in downtown Rochester. A similar (albeit smaller and more exclusive group consisting only of commercial gallerists) was convened by Rochester Art Collectors and held at Axom Gallery and Exhibition Space in April, 2018. The goal of these meetings is to help foster a spirit of cooperation in support of growing the art market and enhancing the art scene in our area.

   Leaders from the following organizations participated on February 7th: 1975 Gallery, Artshow.org, Axom Gallery & Exhibition Space, Bausch + Lomb Corporate Gallery, Ceramics Gallery at Flower City Arts Center, Chase The Art, Colleen Buzzard Studio Gallery, Create Art 4 Good, Flower City Arts Center, Gallery Q, Geisel Gallery, Genesee Valley Council On The Arts, Joel Sapienza, Kristen Campo Fine Arts, Lumiere Gallery, Makers Gallery and Studio, Memorial Art Gallery Gallery Shop, Michael Deming Antiques, Oxford Gallery, Phillips Fine Art & Frame Gallery, RIT City Arts Space, RIT Events Office, RIT Shop One, Rochester Contemporary Arts Center, Print Club of Rochester, Patricia O'Keefe Gallery at St. John Fisher College, Roslyn Goldman, UUU Art Collective, University Gallery at RIT, Whitman Works, and The Yards Collective.

   It should be noted that all the organizations represented at the meeting offer art for sale at their locations. Some of the venues represented operate on a for profit basis while others are legally recognized as not-for-profit organizations. The discussion centered on ways to work together.  The agenda for the meeting was generated by the participants prior to the meeting and then approved by the entire group on the night of the meeting.

   Roz Goldman spoke to the group at the outset of the meeting about her experiences as a gallerist and leader of the Rochester Area Art Dealers (RAAD) group from years past. Unfortunately, Roz had to make another appointment and left after her presentation. Following Roz's presentation we did introductions around the room the group engaged in a general conversation about the regional art market followed by a deep dive into areas of common interest and ways the participants might work together. There was a brief conversation about the potential for programs with a regional reach. Time ran out before the group could consider ideas about developing a series of awards recognizing individual artistic achievement on a yearly basis and before an update on recent actions to secure more public funding for the arts in Rochester. The meeting ended with a summary of action items moving forward.*

   The following is an executive summary of the conversation and, in some case, next steps:

1. Roslyn Goldman's presentation on the now defunct Rochester Area Art Dealers group inspired many of the for-profit commercial gallery owners. There seemed to be support from commercial owners to work more closely together in the areas of marketing & promotion;  particularly in terms of potential cooperative themes like what used to be called "Galleries Week". In addition, there may be interest in ongoing collaborations between these business competitors vis-à-vis reviving an informal association of art galleries/dealers.
2. The group was divided about the development in a large scale, high end, cooperative "art fair" in Rochester. Kristen Campo described her first-ever "Contemporary Art Fair Of Rochester" event that took place last November at the Strathallen Hotel in Rochester as a success and worth repeating. She may be willing to work with others on a expanded art fair in 2019. Bleu Cease, director of Rochester Contemporary Art Center, secured a location that may be suitable for an art fair (under very favorable terms) while he was in the process of developing an ambitious program involving two other medium sized not-for-profit art centers scheduled for October and November of 2019 called "Current Seen: Big Ideas, Small Venues." There was considerable discussion around the practical costs and likely benefits of an art fair. Some spoke enthusiastically in favor of the idea while others were skeptical. More than one venue owner was passionately opposed to the idea for practical reasons. A small group interested in the idea of an art fair this fall will explore the prospects more thoroughly and share information with others as their work unfolds. It may also be possible to coordinate a "Galleries Week" type promotion in coordination with "Current Seen: Big Ideas, Small Venues" program later this year.
3. There was little appetite in the room for building a regional art presence through cooperative programming with galleries and arts organizations in nearby counties at this time. ​

​   For it's part, Rochester Art Collectors supports local galleries and non-profit arts venues collaborating on as many levels as they feel comfortable. The group also supports the development of a large scale, high visibility, high quality art fair in our area. Rochester Art Collectors continues to believe in the value of regional cooperation and will continue to support efforts in that direction as well.